GURU NANAK COLLEGE, DHANBAD

PROJECT WORK:- INDIAN RAILWAY

NAME : AADARSH GOENKA

COLLEGE ROLL NO. : 307
UNIVERSITY ROLL NO. : 170362016806
CLASS : B.COM (H)
SEMESTER : VI
SUBJECT : BUSSINESS RESEARCH METHOD AND
PROJECT WORK
SUBJECT TEACHER : SRI GOPAL SHARMA
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my teacher Sri Gopal
Sharma as well as our Principal Prof. P. Shekhar who gave me the
golden opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic “Indian
Railways” which also helped me in doing a lot of research and I came
to know about so many new things.
I would like to appreciate the contribution of my friends for their
assistances in my data collection.
Last but not the least, I would also like to express my indebtedness to
my parents who helped me a lot in finishing this project within the
limited time.
 CERIFICATE
This is to certify that Mr. Aadarsh Goenka of B.com (Hons), Semester
– VI, College Roll no.-307 of Guru Nanak College has completed his
project on the topic “Indian Railway”.

Date- Teacher’s Signature

 CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. History
3. Organisation
4. Rolling Stock
5. Network
6. Services
7. Future
8. Records
 Indian Railways
Introduction

Indian Railways (IR) is India's national railway system operated by the Ministry of Railways. It
manages the fourth largest railway network in the world by size, with 67,368-kilometre
(41,861 mi) route. Routes are electrified with 25 kV AC electric traction while thirty three
percent of them are double or multi-tracked.

Indian Railway runs more than 20,000 passenger trains daily, on both long-distance and
suburban routes, from 7,349 stations across India. The trains have a five-digit numbering
system. Mail or express trains, the most common types, run at an average speed of 50.6
kilometres per hour (31.4 mph). In the freight segment, IR runs more than 9,200 trains daily.
The average speed of freight trains is around 24 kilometres per hour (15 mph).

As of March 2017, IR's rolling stock consisted of 277,987 freight wagons, 70,937 passenger
coaches and 11,452 locomotives. IR owns locomotive and coach-production facilities at several
locations in India. The world's eighth-largest employer, it had 1.308 million employees as of
March 2017.

In the year ending March 2018, IR carried 8.26 billion passengers and transported 1.16 billion
tonnes of freight. In the fiscal year 2017–18, IR is projected to have revenue of ₹1.874 trillion
(US$27 billion), consisting of ₹1.175 trillion (US$17 billion) in freight revenue and ₹501.25
billion (US$7.3 billion) in passenger revenue, with an operating ratio of 96.0 percent.

Type Government Enterprises

Founded 8 May 1845 (174 years ago)

 New Delhi, India
Headquarters

Key people  Piyush Goyal (Minister of Railways)

 Vinod Kumar Yadav (Chairman,

Railway Board)

Revenue ₹1.874 trillion (US$27 billion) (2017–

18)

Net income ₹64.25 billion (US$930 million) (2017–

18)

Number of 1.308 million (2017)

employees

Divisions 18 zones

History

The first railway proposals for India were made in Madras in 1832. The country's first train, Red
Hill Railway (built by Arthur Cotton to transport granite for road-building), ran from Red Hills to
the Chintadripet bridge in Madras in 1837. In 1845, the Godavari Dam Construction Railway was
built by Cotton at Dowleswaram in Rajahmundry, to supply stone for the construction of a dam
over the Godavari River. In 1851, the Solani Aqueduct Railway was built by Proby Cautley in
Roorkee to transport construction materials for an aqueduct over the Solani River.

India's first passenger train, hauled by three steam locomotives (Sahib, Sindh and Sultan), ran for
34 kilometres (21 mi) with 400 people in 14 carriages on 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge track
between Bori Bunder (Mumbai) and Thane on 16 April 1853. The Thane viaducts, India's first
railway bridges, were built over the Thane creek when the Mumbai-Thane line was extended to
Kalyan in May 1854. Eastern India's first passenger train ran 24 miles (39 km) from Howrah,
near Kolkata, to Hoogly on 15 August 1854. The first passenger train in South India ran 60 miles
(97 km) from Royapuram- Veyasarapady (Madras) to Wallajah Road (Arcot) on 1 July 1856.

On 24 February 1873, a horse-drawn 3.8-kilometre (2.4 mi) tram opened in Calcutta between
Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street. On 9 May 1874, a horse-drawn tramway began operation in
Bombay between Colaba and Parel. In 1897, lighting in passenger coaches was introduced by
many railway companies. On 3 February 1925, the first electric passenger train in India ran
between Victoria Terminus and Kurla.
The organisation of Indian railways into regional zones began in 1951, when the Southern (14
April 1951), Central (5 November 1951) and Western (5 November 1951) zones were created.
Fans and lights were mandated for all compartments in all passenger classes in 1951, and
sleeping accommodations were introduced in coaches. In 1956, the first fully air-conditioned
train was introduced between Howrah and Delhi. Ten years later, the first containerized freight
service began between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. In 1986, computerized ticketing and
reservations were introduced in New Delhi.

In 1988, the first Shatabdi Express was introduced between New Delhi and Jhansi; it was later
extended to Bhopal. Two years later, the first self-printing ticket machine (SPTM) was
introduced in New Delhi. In 1993, air-conditioned three-tier coaches and a sleeper class
(separate from second class) were introduced on IR. The CONCERT system of computerized
reservations was deployed in New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in September 1996. In 1998,
coupon validating machines (CVMs) were introduced at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Terminus. The nationwide Concierge system began operation on 18 April 1999. In February
2000, the Indian Railways website went online. On 3 August 2002, IR began online train
reservations and ticketing. Indian Railways announced on 31 March 2017 that the country's
entire rail network would be electrified by 2022.

Organisation

Structure:

Indian Railways is headed by a seven-member Railway Board whose chairman reports to the
Ministry of Railways. Railway Board also acts as the Ministry of Railways. The officers manning
the office of Railway Board are mostly from organised Group A Railway Services and Railway
Board Secretariat Service. IR is divided into 18 zones, headed by general managers who report
to the Railway Board. The zones are further subdivided into 68 operating divisions, headed by
divisional railway managers (DRM). The divisional officers of the engineering, mechanical,
electrical, signal and telecommunication, stores, accounts, personnel, operating, commercial,
security and safety branches report to their respective DRMs and are tasked with the operation
and maintenance of assets. Station masters control individual stations and train movements
through their stations' territory. In addition, there are a number of production units, training
establishments, public sector enterprises and other offices working under the control of the
Railway Board.

Subsidiaries and undertakings:

IR is a major shareholder in 16 public sector undertakings (PSU) and other organizations that
are related to rail transport in India. Notable among this list include:

Financing, construction and project implementation: IRFC, RITES, IRCON, MRVC, RVNL
Land and station development: RLDA, IRSDC
Rail infrastructure: DFCCIL, PRCL
Passenger and freight train operations: KRCL, CONCOR
IT and communications: CRIS, RCIL
Catering and tourism: IRCTC

Rolling stock
Locomotives:

India uses electric and diesel locomotives, along with a few CNG (compressed natural gas)
locomotives. Steam locomotives are no longer in use, except in heritage trains. Locomotives in
India are classified by gauge, motive power, the work they are suited for and their power or
model number. Their four- or five-letter class name includes this information. The first letter
denotes the track gauge; the second their motive power (diesel or electric), and the third their
suitable traffic (goods, passenger, multi or shunting). The fourth letter denotes a locomotive's
chronological model number. In 2002, a new classification was adopted in which the fourth
letter indicates a newer diesel locomotive's horsepower range.

A locomotive may have a fifth letter in its name, denoting a technical variant, subclass or
subtype (a variation in the basic model (or series) or a different motor or manufacturer). In the
new diesel-locomotive classification, the fifth letter refines the horsepower in 100-hp
increments: A for 100 hp, B for 200 hp, C for 300 hp an so on. In this classification, a WDM-3A is
a 3100 hp, a WDM-3D a 3400 hp and a WDM-3F a 3600 hp locomotive. Diesel locomotives are
fitted with auxiliary power units, which save almost 88 percent of fuel during idle time when a
train is not running.

Goods wagons:

As of March 2017, IR fleet consisted of 277,987 goods wagons. They carried 1,110 million
tonnes of freight in Fiscal Year 2016–17. Wagon types used by IR include BCACBM, BCCN, BCNA,
BCNHL, BOBRN, BOBYN, BOXN (BOXN-HL, BOXN-HS, BOXN-HL, BOXN-CR, BOXN-LW, BOXN-AL,
BOXN-EL), BRH, BTPGLN, BTPN and VVN.

IR’s bulk requirement of wagons is met by wagon manufacturing units both in public and private
sectors as well as other Public Sector Units under the administrative control of Ministry of
Railways.

Passenger coaches:

On long distance routes and also on some shorter routes, IR uses 2 primary types of coach
design types. ICF coaches, in production from 1955 until Jan 2018, constitute the bulk of the
current stock. These coaches, considered to be having inadequate safety features, are slowly
being phased out. As of September 2017, around 40,000 coaches are still in operation. The older
coaches are being replaced with LHB coaches. Introduced in mid '90s, these coaches are lighter,
safer and are capable of speeds up to 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph).

IR has announced that two new self-propelled train set designs will be introduced starting from
mid 2018. These two train types, termed as Train-18 and Train-20, are expected to replace
locomotive-hauled trains on long distance routes.

On regional short distance routes, IR runs Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) or Diesel
Electrical Multiple Unit (DEMU) trains, depending on the traction available. These train sets are
self-propelled with capability for faster acceleration or deceleration and are expected to reduce
congestion on dense routes. Passenger locomotive-hauled trains, having frequent stops are
slowly being replaced with train sets across India.

On suburban commuter routes around the large urban centers, IR runs trains with Electric
Multiple Unit (EMU) coaches. As of March 2017, about 9100 coaches are in operation.
Network

Tracks:

As of March 2017, IR network spans 121,407 km (75,439 mi) of track length, while the route
length is 67,368 km (41,861 mi). Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from 80 to
200 km/h (50 to 124 mph), though the maximum speed attained by passenger trains is
180 km/h (110 mph). As of March 2017, most of the broad-gauge network is equipped with
long-welded rails, pre-stressed concrete (PSC) sleepers and high tensile strength 52kg/60kg 90
UTS rails.

1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge, is the predominant gauge used by IR and spans 61,680 km
(38,330 mi) of route (92% of total route network). It is the broadest gauge in use across the
world for passenger movement. Broad gauge generated 100% of the freight output (Net tonne-
Kilometres) and more than 99% of the passenger output (Passenger Kilometres) in the fiscal
year 2016–17.

The 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge tracks; 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) and 610 mm (2 ft) narrow
gauge tracks are present on fewer routes. All of these routes, except the heritage routes, are
being converted to broad gauge. The metre gauge tracks were 3,479 kilometres (2,162 mi) (5%
of total route network) and narrow gauges tracks were 2,208 km (1,372 mi) (3% of total route
network) as of 31 March 2017.

Electrification:

As of 31 March 2018, IR has electrified 49% or 33,057 km (20,541 mi) of the route kilometers
and 46% or 55,240 km (34,320 mi) of the total running track. India uses 25 kV AC traction on all
its electrified tracks. Railway electrification in India began with the first electric train, between
Bombay Victoria Terminus and Kurla on the Harbour Line, on 3 February 1925 on the Great
Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR) at 1500 V DC. Heavy gradients in the Western Ghats
necessitated the introduction of electric traction on the GIPR to Igatpuri on the North East line
and Pune on the South East line. On 5 January 1928 1500 V DC traction was introduced on the
suburban section of the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway between Colaba and Borivili,
and between Madras Beach and Tambaram of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway on 11
May 1931, to meet growing traffic needs. The 3000 V DC electrification of the Howrah-Burdwan
section of the Eastern Railway was completed in 1958. The first 3000 V DC EMU service began
on the Howrah-Sheoraphuli section on 14 December 1957.

Research and trials in Europe, particularly on French Railways (SNCF), indicated that 25 kV AC
was an economical electrification system. Indian Railways decided in 1957 to adopt 25 kV AC as
its standard, with SNCF their consultant in the early stages. The first 25 kV AC section was Raj
Kharswan–Dongoaposi on the South Eastern Railway in 1960. The first 25 kV AC EMUs, for
Kolkata suburban service, began service in September 1962. For continuity, the Howrah–
Burdwan section of the Eastern Railway and the Madras Beach–Tambaram section of the
Southern Railway were converted to 25 kV AC by 1968. Because of limitations in the DC traction
system, a decision was made to convert the electric traction system of the Mumbai suburban rail
network of WR and CR from 1.5kV DC to 25 kV AC in 1996–97. The conversion from DC to AC
traction was completed in 2012 by Western Railway, and in 2016 by Central Railway. Since then,
the entire electrified mainline rail network in India uses 25 kV AC, and DC traction is used only
for metros and trams.

Indian Railways announced on 31 March 2017 that the country's entire rail network would be
electrified by 2022.
Though not a nascent concept, the electrification in India now has been committed with a fresh
investment of ₹35,000 crore (US$5.1 billion) to electrify the entire network and eliminating the
cost of fuel under transportation which will amount to a massive savings of ₹10,500 crore
(US$1.5 billion) overall. This will be a boon for savings for the Government to channelize the
investments in modernization of the railway infrastructure.

Close to 30 billion units of electricity will be required for railway electrification on an annual
basis by 2022, leading to excellent opportunities for IPPs of conventional power.

Services

Passenger service

Station categories

From December 2017, stations are categorised into the Non-Suburban Group NSG1 to NSG6, the
Suburban Group SG1 to SG3, and the Halt Group HG1 to HG3 based on the earnings, passenger
footfall and strategic importance.

Before December 2017, stations were classified into A1, A, B, C, D, E and F categories, based only
on the passenger earnings from the sales of platform tickets, thus limiting the ability of IR to
better focus its investments in passenger amenities.

Travel classes

IR has several classes of travel, with or without air-conditioning. A train may have one or several
classes. Slow passenger trains have only unreserved seating, and the Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi
Express, Garib Rath Express, Double Decker Express, Tejas Express, Humsafar Express , Duronto
Express , Yuva Express and Vande Bharat Express have only air-conditioned classes. Fares for all
classes differ, and unreserved seating is the least expensive. Fares for the Rajdhani, Duronto
Shatabdi and Vande Bharat Express trains include food. In September 2016, IR introduced
dynamic fares for the Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi trains (except 1AC and EC classes) to
increase revenue. Long-distance trains usually include a pantry car, and food is served at the
berth or seat itself. Luxury trains (such as Palace on Wheels) have separate dining cars, but
these trains cost as much as—or more than—a five-star hotel room.

A standard passenger rake has four unreserved (general) compartments, two at the front and
two at the rear (one of which may be for women). The number of other coaches varies by
demand and route. A luggage compartment may be at the front or the rear. On some mail trains,
a separate mail coach is attached. Lavatories are communal, and Indian- and Western-style. At
the rear of the train is the guard's cabin. It contains a transceiver, and is where the guard usually
gives the all-clear signal before the train departs.

Train types

Trains are sorted into categories which dictate the number of stops on a route, their priority on
the network and their fare structure. Each express train is identified by a five-digit number. if the
first digit is 1 or 2 in the train number, they are long-distance express trains. If the first digit is 0,
the train is a special train which will operate for a limited period of time with a different fare
structure. A first digit of 5 denotes a passenger train.
The second digit indicates the zone operating the train. However, for high-speed trains, the
second digit is either 0 or 2 (the first remains 1 or 2). The third digit denotes the division within
the zone which is responsible for maintenance and cleanliness, and the last two digits are the
train's serial number. The train numbering system was changed from four digits from December
2010, to accommodate an increasing number of trains.

Trains traveling in opposite directions along the same route are usually labelled with
consecutive numbers. However, there is considerable variation in train numbers; some zones,
such as Central Railway, have a less-systematic method of numbering trains.

Trains are classified by average speed. A faster train has fewer stops (halts) than a slower one,
and is usually used for long-distance travel. Most express trains have special names to identify
them easily. The names of the trains usually denote the regions they connect, the routes they
traverse, or a famous person or tourist spot connected with the train.

Train types Description

A semi-high-speed, air-conditioned day time journey train with facilities such
as Wi-Fi, snack tables, CCTV cameras, hydraulic-pressure doors and a fire and
Vande Bharat smoke detection and extinguishing system. It can run at a speed of 200km/h. It
Express is the first hi-tech Loco-less train set made in India. It was flagged off on 15th
February 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The model number for this
particular train set is Train 18.
A semi-high-speed, air-conditioned train which had its inaugural run on 24 May
2017, covering 551.7 kilometres (343 mi) in eight hours, 30 minutes. Coaches
have bio-vacuum toilets, water-level indicators, tap sensors, hand dryers,
integrated Braille displays, an LED TV for each passenger with a phone jack,
Tejas Express
local cuisine, Wi-Fi, tea and coffee vending machines, magazines, snack tables,
CCTV cameras and a fire and smoke detection and extinguishing system. It can
run at a speed of 200km/h but it is restricted to 130km/h due to some
technical reasons.
Gatimaan The first semi-high-speed, air-conditioned train running between Delhi and
Express Jhansi with a top speed of 160 km/h (99 mph)
Air-conditioned, intercity trains for daytime travel. Unlike the Rajdhani or
Duronto Expresses, the Shatabdi expresses make a round trip on the same day.
Shatabdi The Bhopal Shatabdi Express (train number 12001/12002) is India's second-
Express fastest train between New Delhi and Agra, with an average speed of 90 km/h
(56 mph) and a top speed of 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph). The limited-
stop trains have Wi-Fi.
Limited-stop, air-conditioned trains linking state capital to national capital,
Rajdhani they have a top speed of 130–140 km/h (81–87 mph). The 2014 railway budget
Express proposed increasing the Rajdhani and Shatabdi Expresses to 180 km/h
(110 mph).
Non-stop (except for technical halts) service introduced in 2009. In January
2016, it became possible to book tickets from those technical stops. They
Duronto connect India's metros and major state capitals, and were introduced to equal
Express (or exceed) the speed of the Rajdhani Express. With air-conditioned one-, two-
and three-tier seating, some have non-air-conditioned sleeper-class
accommodations.
Humsafar Air-conditioned, three-tier coach trains with LED screens displaying
Express information about stations and train speed, a PA system, vending machines for
tea and coffee, charging ports for electronic devices, bio-toilets, smoke alarms,
 CCTV cameras, curtains and heating and refrigeration facilities for food.
Inaugural run was between Gorakhpur to Anand Vihar Terminal.
Air-conditioned, limited-stop trains linking major cities, with a speed of about
AC Express
130 km/h (81 mph).
Double
Decker Air-conditioned, limited-stop, two-tier express trains for daytime travel
Express
Uday Express Air-conditioned double decker train for overnight travel.
Garib Rath Air-conditioned, economy, three-tier trains with a top speed of 130 km/h
Express (81 mph)
Introduced with the Duronto Express to provide air-conditioned travel to young
Indians, 60 percent of its seats were reserved for passengers between 18 and
Yuva Express
45 years of age. The trains were unsuccessful, and operate only on the Delhi-
Howrah and Delhi-Mumbai routes.
Jan Shatabdi A more-economical version of the Shatabdi Express, with air-conditioned and
Express non-air-conditioned classes and a top speed of 110 km/h (68 mph)
Sampark
Kranti Express service to New Delhi
Express
Kavi Guru Introduced in honor of Rabindranath Tagore, four pairs of the trains operate on
Express the network.
Introduced to commemorate the 150th birth Anniversary of Swami
Vivek Express
Vivekananda in 2013, four pairs of Vivek Expresses run in the country.
Rajya Rani
Introduced to connect state capitals to major cities in that state.
Express
Mahamana
Superfast train with Indian Railways ModelRake coaches.
Express
Introduced to connect major cities on short routes with high and semi-high
Intercity
speeds. Trains include the Deccan Queen, Flying Ranee and Bilaspur Nagpur
Express
Intercity Express.
Antyodaya
Non-reserved, high-speed LHB coaches on peak routes to ease congestion.
Express
Jan Sadharan
Non-reserved express trains on peak routes to ease congestion.
Express
Suvidha
High priority trains with dynamic pricing on high demand routes.
Express
Trains with a max speed greater than 100–110 km/h (62–68 mph), average
Superfast
speed greater than 55 km/h (34 mph), whose tickets have a superfast
Express
surcharge, with stops at very few stations.
Trains with a max speed greater than 100 km/h (62 mph), average speed
Express
greater than 36 km/h (22 mph), with stops at few stations.
These trains earlier had separate mail coaches. Nowadays, mail is carried in
Mail
luggage coach like all other trains.
Slow, economical trains which stop at every (or almost every) station on a
Passenger route. With generally-unreserved seating. The trains travel at about 40–
80 km/h (25–50 mph).
These trains operate in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad,
Suburban Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Bengaluru, Pune and between Kanpur and
Lucknow, usually stop at every station, and have unreserved seating.
 Designed for urban transport, the first metro was the Kolkata Metro in 1984.
Metro There are 300 metro services daily carrying over 700,000 passengers making it
the second busiest metro system in India.
Mountain Three of the lines were declared a World Heritage site as Mountain Railways of
Railways India by UNESCO.

Tourism

Indian Railway operates tourist train or coach services on popular tourist circuits in different
regions of the country. The service offers tour packages inclusive of rail travel, local
transportation, accommodation, food and guided tours. IR offers various tourist services in this
segment including Luxury tourist trains, Semi luxury trains, Buddhist special trains, Bharat
Darshan trains, Aastha Circuit trains and Steam trains.

The Palace on Wheels is a luxury-train service, frequently hauled by a steam locomotive, to

promote tourism in Rajasthan. The train has a seven-night, eight-day itinerary on a round trip
from New Delhi via Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur and Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur,
Bharatpur and Agra.

Royal Rajasthan on Wheels covers a number of tourist destinations in Rajasthan. The seven-day,
eight-night tour is a round trip from New Delhi's Safdarjung station via Jodhpur, Udaipur and
Chittaurgarh, Ranthambore National Park and Jaipur, Khajuraho, Varanasi and Sarnath, and
Agra.

Maharajas' Express, a luxury train operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corporation (IRCTC), runs on five routes to about 12 destinations across north-West and central
India (centered around Rajasthan) from October to April.

The Deccan Odyssey covers tourist destinations in Maharashtra and Goa. Its seven-night, eight-
day tour begins in Mumbai and stops at Jaigad Fort, Ganapatipule and Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg,
Tarkarli and Sawantwadi, Goa, Kolhapur and Pune (Day 5), Aurangabad and Ellora Caves, and
Ajanta Caves and Nashik. The Golden Chariot runs on two tours: Pride of the South and Splendor
of the South.

The Golden Chariot is a luxury train service.

The Mahaparinirvan Express, an air-conditioned service also known as the Buddhist Circuit
Train, is run by the IRCTC for Buddhist pilgrims. Its seven-night, eight-day tour begins in New
Delhi and visits Bodh Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda, Varanasi and Sarnath, Kushinagar and Lumbini,
Sravasti and the Taj Mahal.
The Fairy Queen, a tourist attraction as the world's oldest operating steam engine, hauls a luxury
train from Delhi to Alwar.

Freight services

In the freight segment, IR ferries various commodities and fuels in industrial, consumer and
agricultural segments across the length and breadth of India. IR has historically subsidised the
passenger segment with income from the freight business. As a result, freight services are
unable to compete with other modes of transport on both cost and speed of delivery, leading to
continuous erosion of market share. To counter this downward trend, IR has started new
initiatives in freight segments including upgrading of existing goods sheds, attracting private
capital to build multi-commodity multi-modal logistics terminals, changing container sizes,
operating time-tabled freight trains and tweaking with the freight pricing/product mix. Also,
end-to-end integrated transport solutions such as roll-on, roll-off (RORO) service, a road-rail
system pioneered by Konkan Railway Corporation in 1999 to carry trucks on flatbed trailers, is
now being extended to other routes across India.

Perhaps the game changer for IR in the freight segment, are the new dedicated freight corridors
that are expected to be completed by 2020. When fully implemented, the new corridors,
spanning around 3300 km, could support hauling of trains up to 1.5 km in length with 32.5 ton
axle-load at speeds of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). Also, they will free-up capacity on
dense passenger routes and will allow IR to run more trains at higher speeds. Additional
corridors are being planned to augment the freight infrastructure in the country.

Future

Infrastructure:

Infrastructure modernisation projects include high-speed rail, with the first Ahmedabad-
Mumbai train in operation in 2022; redevelopment of 400 stations by monetizing 2,700 acres
(11 km2) of spare railway land under a ₹1,070,000 crore (US$155 billion) plan; doubling tracks
to reduce congestion and delays while improving safety (15,000 km of double track existed in
2016, and funding for 12,500 km more was approved that year); the refurbishing of 12- to 15-
year-old coaches at the Carriage Rehabilitation Workshop in Bhopal to enhance passenger
amenities and fire safety; Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled tracking of trains to improve
safety and service; Digital India-driven ₹3,500,000 million (equivalent to ₹3.7 trillion or
US$53 billion in 2018) digitalisation of the railway to improve efficiency and reduce cost;
rainwater harvesting, with 1885 systems installed by December 2016, and reforestation of
railway land and along the tracks.

Electrification and power:

All routes will be electrified to save on imported-fuel costs. 49 percent of the network was
electrified by March 2018, with full electrification planned by March 2021. Off-the-grid Solar-
powered trains are planned with the installation of one gigawatt of solar and 130 megawatts of
wind power between 2017 and 2022; India introduced the world's first solar-powered train and
50 coaches with rooftop solar farms in June 2017. Initial assessments of this experiment has
been positive. Rooftop solar electricity is planned at stations to reduce long-term fuel costs and
protect the environment, and sustainable LED lighting at all stations is planned by March 2018
to cut electricity costs. Locomotive factories have been modernised, including two new factories
in Bihar: an electric locomotive factory in Madhepura and a diesel locomotive factory in
Marhaura, and 2,285 bio-toilets were introduced from April to July 2014. A ₹200 billion
(US$2.9 billion) partnership with Alstom to supply 800 electric locomotives from 2018 to 2028
was announced.

Safety:

Safety projects include the elimination of an average of 1,217 unguarded level crossings per year
by building an average of 1,066 overpasses and underpasses per year; an automated fire alarm
system on Rajdhani Express trains was begun in 2013, extending to the air-conditioned coaches
of all trains, and 6,095 GPS-enabled Fog Pilot Assistance System railway signalling devices
(replacing the practice of placing firecrackers on tracks to alert train drivers) installed in 2017
in four zones: Northern, North Central, North Eastern and North Western.

Records

 Vivek Express has the longest route in India, which covers 4,286 km in about 82 hours
and 30 minutes. The train runs between Dibrugarh and Kanyakumari.

 In its route, Howrah-Amritsar Express has 115 stops. The train has the record for
maximum stops by an Express/Mail train.

 Indian Railways constructed a subway crossing in just four-and-a-half-hour between

Pendurthi and Kottavalasa line in Andhra Pradesh

 The fastest train in India is Vande Bharat Express which runs between Delhi and
Varanasi.